The present disclosure relates generally to medical devices, and particularly, to endoluminal prostheses, stent-grafts, or grafts with a pocket for a removable microsystem and methods for the manufacture and use of the same for repair of damaged vessels, ducts, or other physiological pathways.
Various interventions have been provided for weakened, aneurysmal, dissected or ruptured vessels, including surgical interventions and endovascular interventions. Endovascular interventions generally include inserting an endoluminal device or prosthesis such as a stent or stent graft into the damaged or diseased body lumen to provide support for the lumen, and to exclude damaged portions thereof. Such prosthetic devices are typically positioned at the point of treatment or target site by navigation through the vessel, and possibly other connected branch vessels, until the point of treatment is reached. This navigation may require the device to be able to move axially through the vessel(s) prior to deployment, while still maintaining the ability to exert an outward force on the interior wall once deployed.
In the field of aortic interventions, endoluminal devices are placed in vessels to address and correct diseased tissue resulting from atherosclerotic plaques, aneurysm or weakening of body vessel walls, and arterial dissection. In the case of atherosclerosis, plaque buildup results in narrowing of the vessel, which may lead to reduced or blocked blood flow within the body vessel. Endoluminal devices for atherosclerosis act to radially expand the narrowed area of the body vessel to restore normal blood flow. In the case of an aneurysm, a weakening of the body vessel wall results in ballooning of the body vessel, which can eventually lead to rupture and subsequent blood loss. In some cases, the aneurysmal sac may include plaque. Endoluminal devices for aneurysms act to seal off the weakened area of the body vessel to reduce the likelihood of the body vessel rupture. In the case of arterial dissection, a section of the innermost layer of the arterial wall is torn or damaged, allowing blood to enter false lumen divided by the flap between the inner and outer layers of the body vessel. The growth of the false lumen may eventually lead to complete occlusion of the actual artery lumen. Endoluminal devices for dissection healing would reappose the dissection flap against the body vessel wall to close it off and restore blood flow through the true lumen.
Medical imaging methods like fluoroscopy and MRI are commonly used to visualize the correct prosthesis position in vivo and to check the current status of the aneurysm, for example, to check for endoleaks. What is needed is an implantable prosthesis to collect data and monitor physiological status of the patient.